altitude hold info needed

[jwyoungjr]

I would appreciate your input on choosing between an E-Z altitude hold from Trio and an Altrak from Trutrak. What are the differences other than Altrak is 250.00 cheaper?

[Ironflight]

I can't speak as to a comparison, as I have only used the AlTrak, but I can say that I am totally happy with it - push the button, hold this altitude....push it again, don't hold this altitude....

But put a dimmer on the light for night operations!!

Paul

[tinman]

I have a Trio unit. The servo has a feedback loop to the brain to let you know that you need to re-trim. The control button on the panel has a very clever lcd script that tells you what is going on with the servo. The Trio folks are great to deal with, and the documentation is great. Mine is not flying yet...
Don

[Kahuna]

I have experience with both my RV's with both units.
The main difference is the trio unit is upgradeable, should you choose to do so at some time in the future, to the more advanced features. As a push button AH, they are identicle. But with the advanced feature set in the trio to include AS and VS climb/descent, auto trim adjust, alt preselect and so forth, then you have a whole new ball game with the Trio.

Best,

[Sam Buchanan]

I would appreciate your input on choosing between an E-Z altitude hold from Trio and an Altrak from Trutrak. What are the differences other than Altrak is 250.00 cheaper?

I have flown the AlTrak and all three versions of the EZ-Hold in my RV-6. All the units fly well and perform as advertised. You can get more info on my experiences with these systems here:

http://thervjournal.com/altrak.htm

http://thervjournal.com/EZ-2.htm

The AlTrak is a very simple altitude hold. You fly to the altitude you want, push the big green button, and the device maintains that altitude. It will hold altitude very precisely in smooth air and will attempt to hold in thermals but can be overwhelmed if the air is rowdy. It is best to just disengage the system if you are seeing deviations of 50-100'. The servo doesn't have a clutch but can overpowered by the pilot with some effort. If sudden movement of the stick is required while the servo is engaged, it is possible for a pin to shear in the servo. This is a safety feature but requires that the servo be serviced before it will function again.

The Trio EZ-Hold units perform superbly and offer many more features depending on which unit you install. There is no need for me to review the features of these systems since all that info is on the Trio web site. The Trio servo is a very advanced unit that has safety and feedback features that are found in no other manufacturer's system. It also has a clutch so the servo cannot be damaged by any combination of stick movements by the pilot. The system gains and settings can be easily tweaked by the pilot either on the ground or in the air in order to accommodate various flight conditions.

If you want just a simple altitude hold, either the AlTrak or Trio EZ-1 with do the job. If you want a more advanced system that gives you the capability of climbing/descending at preselected rates/speeds to a preselected altitude, the ability to tweak the system in flight, and the latest in servo design, then the Trio EZ-2 and EZ-3 will fill those needs.

Either way, an altitude hold system will spoil you in about......two minutes.